


Real News Live

by rhiannonhero



Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-05
Updated: 2011-02-05
Packaged: 2017-10-15 10:19:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhiannonhero/pseuds/rhiannonhero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Clark and Lex become partners publicly, Clark must do a round of interviews.</p><p>Written in 2002.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Real News Live

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written at some point after Tom Welling's appearance on TRL in 2002. I originally used screencaps to provide illustration to the story. You can see those here: http://rhiannonhero.net/rhi/Smallville/RealNewsLive/realnews.htm

"Look  
at him, Jonathan. Oh, he's so nervous!"

"Relax,  
Mrs. Kent. Clark told me he was ready for this sort of thing,"  
Lex stated calmly though his insides twisted at Clark's obvious  
discomfort on the television screen. He took a long sip of his Scotch  
and mentally shouted at Clark to look up, to do something to make  
Lex less nervous on his behalf.

  


Almost  
as if he had heard Lex, Clark lifted his head, chewing on his lips  
and not looking at the camera. The lip chewing was bad. This meant  
that Clark was truly nervous and Lex was starting to question their  
decision to allow the press a few interviews with him. The fuzzing  
of the screen was bothering him as well and, as his heart rate increased,  
he was seriously considering some corporate revenge on the satellite  
company.

Finally  
the screen unblurred enough to read the caption beneath Clark's  
picture: "The young Clark Kent flies into the studio...next!"

He tried to  
steady himself by studying Clark's appearance. This was a youth  
oriented show. Mitch had assured him that Clark would do well to  
wear jeans and something that would make him look like the college  
senior he was--nothing to emphasize his status as the lover and  
life partner of the soon-to-be governor of Kansas. The first openly  
gay governor of Kansas.

Clark disappeared  
from the screen, replaced by an ad for detergent. God, they'd gone  
to commercial. Lex turned to Mrs. Kent and patted her arm reassuringly.  
Though he didn't imagine that she could be more anxious the he was  
at this moment.

And it wasn't  
just Clark's discomfort that had Lex tied in knots, he was also  
nervous because of Clark's little hobby on the side. Clark had an  
arresting face and having pictures distributed throughout the world  
would only increase the chances that someone would discover that  
Clark was Superman.

And what a  
stupid name. Superman. Heh. And that suit he wore. Completely disgusting.  
Well, the suit was so blinding maybe no one would notice Superman's  
face. But who wouldn't notice Superman's face? And why wouldn't  
Clark just wear a mask? It would make things so much easier. Perhaps  
he should add all of that to his list of things they needed to discuss  
during their next argument. It was good to have plans for these  
things.

Lex realized that the commercials were over and that they had all  
sat in stark silence for several minutes, just waiting.

When  
the show came back on and Clark was shown again on screen, he was  
smiling and standing confidently next to a horridly dressed young  
man about his age. Lex participated in the collective sigh of relief  
around the room.

Lex tried hard  
not to look at the way the jeans clung to Clark's long, thin legs  
and cupped his crotch, or the sexy way Clark was standing with his  
hand in his pocket and the gleam of the new leather jacket.

Part of him  
felt like growling that this beautiful man who belonged solely to  
him was being shared with the American public and part of him was  
proud to display him. Look at what I have! He's all mine and you  
can't have him!

The young man  
conducting the interview, Brick Barrett, introduced Clark to the  
audience.

BB: We're excited  
to have on the show today, Clark Kent, the life partner of Kansas  
State's governor-elect Lex Luthor. We are even more excited that  
this is Mr. Kent's first interview and that he agreed to give it  
with us at Real News Live. Mr. Kent is there anything you'd like  
to say before we get going with the interview?

Clark  
looked into the camera for the first time and spoke, "I need  
to say 'hi' to my mom and dad who are watching in Kansas. They are  
a little nervous." He flashed a smile and then paused before  
continuing, "And, um, hey Lex."

BB: So your  
folks are watching?

CK: Yes. In  
Kansas.

BB: And Governor-Elect  
Luthor is watching?

CK: Yes.

Brick Barrett  
looked into the camera then as well, "Hello Mr. Luthor! Fine  
looking young man you've got here."

Clark smiled  
a little shyly. He started to say something that began with, "Um,  
thank you, I think..." when a girl's voice screamed from the  
audience, "I love you, Clark!"

The  
television fuzzed again, but Clark's blush was obvious as he ducked  
his head, grinned and spoke into the microphone, "Thanks. I  
appreciate that."

BB: I am sure  
you understand how much you are going to be hearing that now that  
you are a celebrity.

CK: I'm not  
quite used to the idea of being a celebrity. That's Lex. Not me.

BB: Well, sure  
Lex Luthor's been a celebrity his whole life. But as the life partner  
of the first out and proud governor of any state in this union,  
you have to realize that you will become the object of a certain  
amount of scrutiny and, as we just witnessed, adulation.

Another few  
voices screamed from the audience, it sounded like two females and  
one male. "Marry me, Clark!"

"We love  
you!!"

Lex snorted  
as the screen again cleared up. It had been the male screaming the  
marriage proposal.

CK:  
Thanks for the offer, but I'm pretty sure that Lex wouldn't like  
me accepting it.  
Clark appeared amused as he looked into the audience at whoever  
had screamed the proposal.

BB: Do you  
always do what makes Lex happy?

Clark evaluated  
his interviewer with a good natured glance, but Lex knew that look,  
he gave it himself. Clark was measuring the man before responding.  
After a bare blink of a pause, Clark answered the man easily.

CK: Well, no  
one's perfect.

The interviewer  
smirked a little at the equivocation and turned to the camera.

BB: We'll be  
back with more from Clark Kent after these messages from our sponsors.

Martha and  
Jonathan let out a sigh as the toothpaste commercial came on. "So  
far so good, huh, Lex?"

Lex nodded.  
Clark was being cautious and he wasn't underestimating this Brick  
Barrett which was good. But Lex was still nervous.

The  
commercials ended and Real News Live again dawned on their screen.  
Clark was the focus of the camera and he appeared to be openly laughing  
at whatever Brick Barrett was saying to him. Lex wished they didn't  
have the music playing so that he could hear. He mentally willed  
that Clark not relax too much, that he not let his guard down.

"He seems  
much more comfortable now, doesn't he Lex?" Martha murmured.  
"Look at him smile."

Lex muttered,  
"He might blind someone in the audience if he isn't careful."  


Martha chortled  
and Jonathan grunted a near laugh.

But he did  
look good. That smile, that messy hair...Lex wanted to crawl through  
the screen and be the recipient of it. Silly to be envious of the  
interviewer when he was the recipient of that smile more days than  
not...but still. Just look at him. That should be all for Lex.

Lex took a  
deep breath as Brick began the interview.

BB:  
Clark...it is okay if I call you Clark?

CK: Sure.

BB: Clark,  
you are six years Lex's junior, correct?

CK: Yes. I  
am.

BB: And just  
how old are you?

CK: Twenty-one.  


BB: And Lex  
is?

CK: Twenty-seven.  
And if you ever meet him in person you should call him Mr. Luthor...he's  
more formal than I am about those things.

Lex laughed.  
"He's doing that on purpose. That guy must have said something  
during the break to make Clark want to keep him off balance. I never  
realized he had picked up so much from me."

Jonathan made  
a rumbling noise that sounded rather disgruntled, but Brick was  
speaking again so Lex ignored him.

BB: So, boxers  
or briefs?

CK:  
For me? Or Lex?

BB: Both. Either.

CK: Ahhh. I  
see. Well. It sort of all depends, doesn't it?

BB: Depends?

CK: On whether  
I want the entire country knowing my choice in underwear.

BB: Come on  
now, Clark.

Clark lifted  
his brows and shrugged, his eyes twinkled a little in a mischievous  
way.

CK: Sometimes  
people deserve a little privacy. But you can tell me if you want  
to share...boxers or briefs?

Brick choked  
out a laugh.

Clark grinned  
wickedly, "Or maybe commando?"

Only Martha,  
Jonathan and Lex would have noticed the rapid eye blink Clark had  
given the interviewer's crotch. Only Martha, Jonathan and Lex would  
know that Brick Barrett was definitely going commando.

Brick blanched  
a little and made a witty retort. Clark just nodded and managed  
to look shy again. He glanced out into the audience and nodded his  
head at someone who must have been trying to get his attention.  


Lex moved to  
the edge of his seat as Clark's face grew slightly wary and serious  
with the next line of questioning.

BB:  
Mr. Luthor is the youngest man to take the governor's seat in Kansas  
history. How do you feel about Mr. Luthor's ability to govern the  
state?

CK: Lex will  
do a great job.

BB: That's  
it? That's all you have to say on the subject?

CK: Did you  
want me to expound on it? Why don't you ask something specific?

BB: How do  
you feel about Mr. Luthor's ability to handle state funds, budget  
problems, and the school system crisis, amongst other issues?

CK: Well, he  
is perfectly accustomed to handling funds and budgets that are...of  
a size that rival that of the state. The school system? Well, that  
is a priority of his...Lex is all about education.

BB: All about  
education?

CK: That's  
what I said.

Clark flashed  
a smile that seemed to take the sting out of his last comment. Lex  
nodded. Clark was doing rather well. The coaching with Mitch the  
prior week was really paying off.

BB: Now, how  
long have you and Mr. Luthor been together?

Clark  
paused briefly. They had discussed this; they had to be a little  
dishonest here for the sake of public opinion.

CK: Nearly  
four years. We started dating when I was eighteen.

Lex muttered,  
"Thank God he lies better now than he did when I met him."  
Another rumble issued from Jonathan.

BB:  
Clark, seriously. You expect us to believe that? Everyone knows  
you and Luthor were friends for three years while you were seriously  
underage. You're saying that Lex waited until you were eighteen  
to begin a relationship with you?

Lex almost  
shuddered at the expression that flashed over Clark's face. A Luthor  
look of appraisal, calculation and "you-have-no-idea-who-you-are-up-against"  
if he had ever seen one.

CK: Yes. I  
am saying exactly that.

Martha gasped.  
"That jerk!"

"Shh.  
Mrs. Kent...please." Lex held his hand up to silence her, leaning  
forward toward the screen, intent on the drama beginning to unfold.  


BB: Lex was  
twenty one when you met, was he not?

CK: Lex was  
twenty-one; I was fifteen when we first became friends.

BB: Now I've  
heard that is an interesting story. Why don't you tell us how you  
met Lex?

Clark  
looked out into the audience, and flashed a smile briefly at someone  
out there and then focused back on Brick.

CK: It is an  
unusual story. We met in a very unique way. Lex had just moved to  
Smallville, the town where I grew up. He was driving over a bridge  
just outside of town when a passing truck dropped a roll of wire  
onto the road; the Porsche hit the wire, swerved out of control  
and almost hit me. Luckily, it plowed through the barrier about  
eight feet from me and off the bridge into the river. I jumped in,  
pulled him out and saved his life. We were fast friends. Good friends.  
Best friends.

BB: Amazing.  
So are you still saving Lex today?

CK: I'm not  
sure what you're asking.

Brick gave  
a smirk and shook his head, "I withdraw the question."

Clark looked  
at him blankly, but Lex knew that Clark was well aware of the implication  
in the question.

BB: So, you  
are a journalism major at Metropolis University. I understand you  
have been given the Jacobson Award.

CK: Yes. That's  
correct.

BB: Care to  
explain to our friends at home just what that award is exactly?

CK:  
It is an award given by the journalism community to a college senior  
whose work as either an intern or student journalist is deemed worthy.

BB: And you  
were deemed worthy?

Clark smiled,  
tight lipped. "It seems that way."

BB: So, tell  
me about your friendship with Lex during the time you were in high  
school."

CK: Those are  
some of my best memories. We had a lot of fun together. Well, there  
were some stressful times, but, all in all, we discovered a lot  
about friendship during those years. We gave each other a fresh  
perspective on life, I think.

BB: Those are  
some interesting sentiments. What else do you remember about your  
early days as friends?

CK: Well, three  
years is a lot of time to cover. I remember a lot of things. Oh.  
Here's something Lex wouldn't mind me sharing...I hope. The first  
year that we were friends, my class had a field trip to the LuthorCorp  
plant that Lex was managing. There was a sick and mentally unstable  
employee who showed up with a gun and took our class and some of  
the plant employees hostage.

BB: That must  
have been terrifying.

CK: It was  
pretty upsetting, yeah. Well, Lex came into the building and negotiated  
with the guy. He ended up saving a lot of kids' lives that day.  


Clark glanced  
at the camera and smiled. A smile obviously intended for Lex out  
there somewhere over the airwaves.

BB: So the  
governor-elect is an erstwhile hero. Who would've thought?

Clark grinned  
a little and snarked, "Someone who read the back publicity  
on Lex before conducting an interview?"

BB: Back to  
your friendship, was the fresh perspective you gave each other by  
any chance a homosexual outlet that would otherwise have been denied  
you both in a small town like Smallville?

Clark's  
face went from vaguely friendly to angry and nearly threatening  
in a heartbeat.

CK: As I stated  
before, Lex and I were friends until I was eighteen. So, no, that  
is not the fresh perspective I was referring to.

BB: I'm glad  
you have your story straight.

CK: I'm far  
from straight, Brick. I think we all know that.

The audience  
began laughing and Clark smiled into the crowd.

Clark turned  
back to his interviewer, his face serious. The apples of his cheeks  
glowing with an undercurrent of anger.

Clark  
reached out and touched Brick's shoulder with one hand.

CK: I'm beginning  
to sense a trend in your questions. Let me clarify one last time.  
Lex and I began dating when I was eighteen years old. We were friends  
for three years before that. The youth of Kansas is safe.

BB: Well, thanks  
for the clarification, Clark. It looks like our time is up. Thanks  
so much for giving us your first interview and give my best to Lex.

CK: Thank you.  


Several more  
women screamed out their love for Clark and a few men as well. Clark  
didn't seem to notice.

The  
camera captured a drained-looking and lip-biting Clark as it faded  
to commercial. Everyone sat in tense silence for several long moments.  
Martha spoke first, looking to Lex and noticing that he seemed a  
little unnerved. "That wasn't too bad. Was it?"

Lex shrugged.  
"It could have been worse."

Lex's cell  
phone trilled. He jumped up and located it in the pocket of the  
jacket he had discarded earlier.

"Clark.  
Hey." Lex spoke into the cell. "No, no. You were great.  
The guy was an ass."

Lex sank down  
onto the sofa. "Yes, yes. I heard that. Yes." He shrugged  
a little and continued, "Listen you did a great job. No, you  
did."

Martha watched  
as he ran a hand over his head nervously.

"Clark...I  
promise. It was terrific."

"I know.  
You'll handle it just fine. One more interview and then we can just  
not do any more."

A long pause  
while Clark talked. Lex's face softened considerably, "Yes.  
You know I do. Okay. Call me later. I'll tell them. Bye."

Lex turned  
to them and said, "Clark sends his love." He stood up  
and began bustling around the room, gathering his belongings.

"Lex?"

Lex looked  
up and smiled at Martha. "I'm flying to New York. I'm going  
to be there for the next one. He needs me."

 **  
The End**

**Author's Note:**

> The blanks throughout are where the screencaps were originally inserted. I'm archiving this as is for now for back-up purposes.


End file.
